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= the glass factory. =
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#@££=†-:¨¨ several centuries after it had last ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ belonged to us, we went on an outing to ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ the glass factory that bore our family ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ name. it had changed owners many times ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ since our ancestors death, and then ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ stood abandoned for a long while. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ finally, the natural end station for ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ the buildings that survive: a museum, ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ and a gift shop. ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ there's a long time since my family ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ made anything. by many, we would be ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ considered poor. ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ there are two main factory buildings, ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ domed things of several floors, made in ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ yellow brick. large but narrow windows, ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ reminescent of some cathedral. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ custom-made glass, of course, large and ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ practical. on the eastern building, ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ some are shattered. ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ the other one is publicly open. there's ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ a museum, with wax figures of my great ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ great great grandfather, or something. ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ various tools (or replicas) laid out on ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ tables, with explaining texts. a lot of ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ glass of varying thickness. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ == ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ == == ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ ------- = = ------- ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ == == ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ == ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ i quickly sneak out, and climb into the ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ other building. the contrast is ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ overwhelming. it must have stood ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ derelict for a long time, windows ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ broken, metallic trash and pools of ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ dark glass all over the floor. no ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ electric lights, but i can see by the ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ light that shines in wherever the dark ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ windows are missing a pane. ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ however, the greatest difference is the ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ higher floors: this building has none. ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ it is one massive hall, stretching away ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ infinitely above me. somewhere up there ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ is some great iron latticework, from ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ where chains are suspended, and parts ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ of machinery has been falling down. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ there is, in the middle of the great ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ hall, a thin spiral staircase that ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ leads up there. i sneak over there, and ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ take a few reluctant steps. after just ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ a revolution, i notice that for each ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ step the building starts to glow, the ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ bricks turning a dark red, and then ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ orange, all the piled up debree being ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ lit from behind. ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ i stop ready to run down and out, but ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ there's someone else on the staircase ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ with me now, pressed close. he's ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ looking like me, short hair and thin ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ arms, but with ears from some animal, ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ and more disturbingly, completely made ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ of dark liquid glass. ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ == ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ == == ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ ------- = = ------- ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ == == ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ == ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ my fear holds me in place while he ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ starts operating levers and dials set ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ in the center of the staircase. slowly, ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ it starts spinning, circling upwards. ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ it's an elevator! i start to run ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ downwards, but now the liquid boy ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ creature grabs hold of me. i try to ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ shake him off, but he's too strong, and ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ pulls me back up beside him. ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ this time, i turn angry instead. what ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ the hell? who is this guy, acting like ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ this? i reach out my free arm and slam ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ a random lever. some metal bar is ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ suddenly released between us, hitting ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ him on the arm, forcing my release. i ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ shove him off of me, and he falls into ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ the levers, messing them up. ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ immediately, a thin rusty chainmail ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ curtain is dropped around me. but the ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ elevator also speeds up significantly. ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ the walls are flaring now, yellow, ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ white, almost blue. i close my eyes and ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ curl into a ball. but then, the glass ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ boy screams, a piercing sound that ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ forces my eyes back open. i watch as he ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ becomes too liquid, his body pooling ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ down in his now massive tail, and the ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ drop that falls toward the factory ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ floor. ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ he's crawling on the stairs, unable to ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ keep his body upright. can't reach the ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ levers, claws at my chainmail cage, ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ while his body is turning into dark ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ pearls. finally, he's lost too much of ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ himself and the scream is cut short. ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ the last of him rains down. ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ i still can't reach the levers from ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ within my cage. looking up, i try to ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ make out the ceiling, but it's all a ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ whirling sea of colours. below me glows ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ the hellfire of the factory walls, but ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ very faint. i sit down, curl back up, ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ become still. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ == ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ == == ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ ------- = = ------- ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ == == ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ == ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ a large clunk shakes my entire body, ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ and snaps me back into reality. i'm ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ back at the factory floor, but the ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ stairs are still moving slightly, ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ clicking in place, carrying me the last ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ few centimeters. i came from below, ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ somehow. the chainmail is retracted, ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ and i slowly dismount the stairs. ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
@££=†-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-†=££@
#@££=†-:¨¨ shaking and crying, i make my way over ¨¨:-†=££@#
##@££=†-:¨ the factory floor, wading through dark ¨:-†=££@##
#@££=†-:¨¨ glass marbles. a quick glance down, and ¨¨:-†=££@#
@££=†-:¨¨¨ i see there's something faint inside ¨¨¨:-†=££@
££=†-:¨¨¨¨ them. embryos? are these eggs? ¨¨¨¨:-†=££
£=†-:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-†=£
=†-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ i shudder, and climb back out. ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-†=
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